The combination of a strong cold frontal passage during the morning of the 8th and a rapidly intensifying low pressure system off the Middle Atlantic and New England States brought snow and plunging temperatures during the day on the 8th. Actual accumulations averaged an inch or two in most places, but the sharp drop in temperatures brought treacherous driving conditions on untreated roadways during the afternoon and evening and countless accidents occurred including two with fatalities in Chester County.Precipitation started as rain before sunrise on the 8th. The cold front moved through Eastern Pennsylvania between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST as a low pressure system on the front was intensifying. Temperatures dropped quickly behind this front both at the surface and aloft. The rain changed to snow between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. EST in the Poconos, around 9 a.m. EST in the Lehigh Valley and between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST across Berks County and the Philadelphia Metropolitan area. About an hour after the precipitation changed to snow, temperatures dropped below freezing as the snow continued to fall. The snow fell heavy at times around Noon EST in the Lehigh Valley. The snow ended during the mid-afternoon, but its lingering effects lasted well into the night as the wind blew the snow back on the road.  Townships averaged about a dozen weather related accidents. In Bucks County, the 911 centers had about 700 more calls than usual. In Chester County, a 21-year-old woman died in Pocopson Township on northbound Pennsylvania State Route 52 after she could not negotiate a curve, struck a concrete bridge abutment, slid down an embankment and came to a stop in a small stream. In Thornbury Township, a 62-year-old woman died after she lost control of her vehicle and struck a tree. In Berks County, Interstate 78 was down to one lane in each direction for hours between Shartlesville and Lenhartsville because of a dozen minor accidents. The West Shore Bypass was closed in Reading for about an hour. Serious traffic accidents occurred in Cumru, Maxatawny, Robeson and Windsor Townships. In Bucks County, in Milford Township, a state trooper was injured after his vehicle was rear-ended on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In the Lehigh Valley, westbound Interstate 78 had 5 mile long delays through the evening rush. In the Philadelphia Metropolitan area, the snow and wind caused about 15 minute delays throughout its SEPTA regional rail lines. Many schools dismissed children early and cancelled after school activities.   Specific snow accumulations included 2.4 inches in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 2.2 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and Glenmoore (Chester County), 1.8 inches in Furlong (Bucks County), 1.5 inches in Forks Township (Northampton County) and Boyertown (Berks County), 1.0 inch in Chadds Ford (Delaware County) and 0.5 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport.The snow was caused by the combination of the cold frontal passage and the rapidly intensifying low pressure system that developed on the front during the morning of the 8th. The low moved northeast and was an already intense 986 mb near Danville, Virginia at 7 a.m. EST on the 8th. From there it continued to move northeast and deepened to a 978 mb low just east of Long Beach Island, New Jersey at 1 p.m. EST on the 8th, to a 970 mb low over Nantucket Island, Massachusetts at 7 p.m. EST on the 8th to a 964 mb low just southwest of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia at 1 a.m. EST on the 9th.

Winter Weather in BERKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in MONTGOMERY, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 14:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 08:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 14:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in BUCKS, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in CARBON, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 06:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 14:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 09:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 13:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in DELAWARE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 10:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in LEHIGH, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 08:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 14:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather in MONROE, PENNSYLVANIA
From 08-MAR-05 06:00:00 to 08-MAR-05 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC